


truth serum

by alestar, deiectus



Category: Naruto
Genre: Implied/Referenced Sex, M/M, Truth Serum, Tsunderes, gray ninja hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-23 16:27:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8334415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alestar/pseuds/alestar, https://archiveofourown.org/users/deiectus/pseuds/deiectus
Summary: Kabuto opens his mouth to say, “I’m fine”– but, of course, nothing comes out.  Yakushi Kabuto is not fine.





	

A faint blue light comes on in Kabuto’s room, which means one of the inner alarms has been triggered, and Kabuto sighs. He shuts off the alarm, unlocks and pushes open his bedroom door, then sits back down on the bed and waits.

After a few minutes, the door pulls closed in the dimness, and footsteps draw close. 

Kabuto opens his mouth to say, “I can’t believe you broke into a Sound compound,” but nothing comes out. He supposes he can believe it. 

The footsteps stop a few inches from the edge of the bed. Kabuto could reach out and touch the other man, but he doesn’t. He opens his mouth and closes it again. He should have known how difficult this would be; he knows better than anyone how many petty untruths come out of his mouth. Particularly in such risky company.

He says simply, “This is dangerous.”

There’s a small sound, the verbal equivalent of a shrug, and fingertips light on Kabuto’s forehead, tracing sideways until they curve around his ear.

“Thought there might be trouble when you didn’t show up,” Kakashi’s voice says wryly. "You’re usually so fussy about schedules.“

Kabuto opens his mouth to say, “I’m fine”– but, of course, nothing comes out. Yakushi Kabuto is not fine. 

“I’m not injured,” he says instead. "I had to deal with an incident in the lab. An issue with one of my experimental medicines.“

Kakashi’s fingers skim down behind Kabuto’s ear, down the cord of his neck; he can feel the soft leather of Kakashi’s glove on his jaw.

“Do you want me to go?” he asks.

Kabuto frowns. If Kakashi had asked should I go, it would have been easy to answer. But nothing with Kakashi is ever easy. After a moment, with no alternatives, he says lowly, “No.”

Kabuto closes his eyes, just barely containing his breathing and keeping it even. His focus to his pulse is even worse - though Kabuto has a grasp on it, every few seconds it quickens under Kakashi’s fingertips.

The other man's touch is rough, but warm and tempting. 

_Warmer_ , Kabuto can't help but think, _than any I've ever felt under Orochimaru's command._

In the silence, Kakashi strokes Kabuto's face again. Kabuto wants to think Kakashi is smiling down at him, and flushes in embarrassment, grateful the room is nearly dark. 

"Do you want me to go?" Kakashi repeats, quieter this time. His hand has stopped, cupping Kabuto's cheek.

Kabuto has already lost to this question. He shakes his head. 

There's a faint muffled sound. Kabuto can only recognize the exhale from his time with Kakashi, the breath stopped by the thick weave of the mask. He desperately hopes Kakashi doesn't ask him if he wants him to stay. One indignity is more than enough. 

"You're so quiet," Kakashi murmurs. He steps closer. "That's not like you."

"You woke me up," Kabuto snaps, though his voice is quiet too, and truly without much bite. He can't control his pulse anymore. "I-" he begins to speak, but stops when Kakashi runs his thumb over his lips. Somehow he controls his shiver. Kabuto opens his eyes, looking at nothing in the dark. "Breaking into a Sound compound.." he breathes, voice just barely shaking. "That's very-" 

He wants to say _stupid_ , but Kakashi isn't stupid. Kabuto swallows, mouth still open. Silence.

Kakashi tilts Kabuto's chin up to look at him. Now that he’s closer, Kabuto can see he's smiling faintly under the mask - he can read it in his eyes. "Very what?"

Kabuto stares at him for a minute, then presses his lips together. "Reckless," he finally says, letting the word roll off his tongue slowly. "Reckless of you."

He feels a soft tug, and the elastic tie falls out of his hair. Quick, gentle - to a fault, Kakashi's always been -

"I don't ever think I've heard you think so loudly," Kakashi teases, using both hands now to fluff out Kabuto's hair, settling it over his shoulders. The leather of his gloves rubs Kabuto's skin again, and this time, unprepared, Kabuto does shiver. Kakashi's voice drops much lower, a roughness starting. "So... eager." 

Kabuto flushes deeply. He stares up at Kakashi, defiant. 

"Does it excite you, that I'd break into an enemy compound for this?" Kakashi murmurs. He leans close, places a palm on Kabuto's bed to hold his weight. His other is still clutching Kabuto's hair. His nose brushes Kabuto's jaw, and he speaks in his ear. "For you?"

Kabuto's mouth goes dry, sharp heat spiking between his legs. The serum won't let him answer any other way, and he clenches his teeth, fighting to hold onto the answer that's already obvious. Does Kakashi _really_ need to ask, why does he always -

There is an unmasked mouth over his own suddenly, and Kabuto realizes has closed his eyes again. He pulls back in surprise, eyes snapping open, blinking in the dimness, turning away from Kakashi. He lifts his own hand and places it on his chest, fingers on his neck. The pace of his pulse right now is a disgrace to his training.

Kakashi is silent. 

To break the silence, Kabuto speaks, his voice shaky but harsh. "I would think-" he tries, but the serum sticks his throat together. Apparently he can't even say vague suppositions, everything must be statement! He nearly curses himself for crafting the serum so precisely.

Speaking slowly, his voice low, Kabuto says, "You already have your answer.” He glances back at Kakashi, who is standing again. And- faintly smirking.

"I guess I'd just like to hear you say it," Kakashi says. "Sad when all my work goes unappreciated."

"You're already getting what you came here for," Kabuto snaps, all venom.

Kakashi raises his eyebrows. "I'm not sure I came here for _that_."

Kabuto exhales measuredly, forcibly calming his pulse. He runs a hand through his hair, looks back up at Kakashi. He simultaneously hates and appreciates the man giving him space. It's _too_ kind, Kabuto doesn't- he doesn't know what to do with it.

He scoots back on the bed, nearer to the wall. Exhales again, and, "come here."

"Sorry?" Kakashi says, stepping out of his sandals. "didn't really hear you."

Kabuto stares at Kakashi. He absolutely did.

"Come here," Kabuto repeats. He even - shocking himself - holds out a hand. "Come here and-" _kiss me_. 

Kakashi pulls off his forehead protector and lets it drop to the floor. He moves next, and Kabuto wishes he weren't such an infatuated idiot, because the next moment Kakashi is on the bed kneeling above him, and Kabuto couldn't tell how he'd gotten there. Obviously he would've have to have walked, but this- this entire night is a disgrace to all of his training, and-

Kakashi's mouth presses against Kabuto's, a hand gently curling around his shoulder. "Thinking again," Kakashi says against his lips, a gentle scold. 

_Then make me stop_ , Kabuto hears himself think, just barely stops himself from speaking aloud. "Again," he says instead, a command. 

Kakashi kisses him with more purpose this time, maneuvers them to push Kabuto down into the bed, the hand that was on his tense shoulder sliding down to his chest. _He is too kind to me_ , Kabuto thinks, _this is a disaster, but I want-_

Kakashi bites his lip, snapping Kabuto's eyes open and his focus outward. "Thinking," he repeats, his voice a slight growl. 

"I know-" Kabuto breathes, almost a gasp. "I-" _stop, don't-_ "I want." 

Kakashi makes a low noise and hangs hangs his head. He pushes his knee between Kabuto's legs, spreading them. "I know," he says, voice rough. Kabuto shivers when Kakashi's knee presses against his groin, eyes fluttering. Kakashi lifts his head to look down into Kabuto's eyes, his pupils big, sharingan glowing in the darkness. 

"I want too."

+

Kakashi tests his theory a few times to be sure-- small things, nothing to spook the other man; murmured crude, husky questions easily played off as sex. He asks:

"Do you want this?"

("Yes.")

"You want me in your mouth?"

("Yes.")

"Have you been thinking of this as much as I have?"

("More.")

"Do you know how you look to me right now?"

(This last one whispered-- Kakashi resting against Kabuto's hips, staring down at Kabuto in the dimness, running a hand down the column of his throat. Kabuto swimming in pleasure, but his eyes clearing for a moment, looking up at Kakashi, aggrieved. "No.")

When it becomes evident that Kabuto is metabolizing some kind of interrogation toxin, a truth serum, probably of his own design, Kakashi leaves him alone with it. He's been in dozens of situations where his mask was damaged in battle and his teammates gently averted their eyes while Kakashi found something to cover his face. He can leave Kabuto alone with his secrets. 

But their coupling is different, for it-- Kabuto is a mess of bitten-off syllables, disclosures knocking around inside him, and he buries his mouth against Kakashi, around Kakashi, to smother them. 

Afterwards, he sleeps and doesn't stir until an hour later, when Kakashi moves to rise. 

"Orochimaru isn't here," he says blurrily, blinking in the dimness. "You can stay."

"Shh," Kakashi says, gentling out from under him. "Don't talk." 

He dresses quickly; he finds his shirt on the floor and pulls it on, tugging the mask up and into place; he ties his hitai-ate. He knows better than to think Kabuto will go back to sleep, but he's surprised when Kabuto says, "Kakashi," voice firm and alert. 

Kakashi looks over his shoulder. Kabuto is sitting up, leaned against the wall, legs folded under him. His eyes are wide, but his mouth is a grim, flat line.

"Ask me anything," he says evenly.

Kakashi huffs a laugh. He slips on his sandals, grinning. "And you called me reckless." He is trying to help, to brush it off, but Kabuto says, voice rough,

"I'll tell you. You know I will." 

Kakashi straightens, slipping his hands into his pockets. He stands in front of the bed, fully dressed, while Kabuto watches him. What would Kakashi ask?

_What do you want?_

_Why stay here?_

_Will you ever leave?_

_If you did, would you come find me?_

Finally, Kakashi sighs. 

He steps close and leans over Kabuto, pressing a kiss to his hair, full of Kabuto's scent even through the thick weave of the mask. "I know," he says. He rests his forehead against the other man's for a moment, breathing, nuzzling, almost, against his faintly upturned face. Then he pulls away. 

“If there's something you want to tell me, you know where to find me." 


End file.
